Three Graces 

Curator: Oh, my! Isn't this "Three Graces" by Erte just so terribly elegant? It’s a mixed media print, and, well, it just whispers Jazz Age secrets to me. Editor: It absolutely does. The piece pulses with a restrained energy, almost as if the figures are poised on the precipice of some unspoken revelation. Their elegant, elongated forms seem to push against the art deco framework. Curator: I adore how Erte blends decorative arts and portraiture, he crafts this scene that feels both intimately personal and theatrically staged. I sense these are not real graces at all. Editor: The Art Deco elements certainly elevate the figures to icons of idealized womanhood, typical of the era’s fixation on glamour and spectacle. Notice, too, how they're suspended – literally and figuratively – between autonomy and control, each seemingly held by strings connected to the geometric light fixture overhead. The whole work strikes me as slightly disturbing, a visual metaphor for the ways women’s bodies have been so frequently curated as decorative objects through a male lens. Curator: Disturbing is an interesting word choice! It’s more dreamy to me. The gold details sparkle as the colours are so balanced. The use of mixed media gives it this fascinating layered effect, creating a depth I didn't initially expect. Each grace has these discs that make them appear like puppets. Editor: Yes! But also consider their immobility amidst what one could call visual dynamism. The drawing is striking and memorable for how the dresses sweep across the picture frame, almost bursting out from the dark, flat background. It highlights not just beauty, but performance, expectation and the way social narratives create limited options for those that inhabit those roles. Curator: Oh, definitely agree with the idea of visual dynamism! Each figure and set design creates the movement. If anything, there is a slight nod of femininity given the Art Deco style. It almost romanticizes the role. Editor: It's that tension, between romance and objectification, performance and authenticity, that makes Erte's work so compelling, don't you think? He acknowledges the social dynamics that affect us while still allowing space for a glimmer of grace to seep through the work, despite all the contradictions it creates. Curator: Absolutely. What begins as aesthetic delight then leads us to question more. A piece like this is why art keeps calling me back, to think a little harder, a little longer! Editor: It leaves us pondering beauty as a complex tool for understanding identity and expression within—and in spite of—constricting narratives. Something we have all had to learn how to carry as activists and critical thinkers.